£35m funding boost powers Aston University’s net-zero future
Aston University has been awarded a £35.5m grant from the UK Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to support its transformation into a net-zero carbon campus.
It will use the funding to develop a Green Energy Centre at its new site on Woodcock Street, which will also house Aston Business School, the Aston Business Hub, and the Aston Integrated Healthcare Hub.
Originally opened by Birmingham City Council in 2011, 10 Woodcock Street was the second-largest purpose-built office building in the city, spanning more than 86,000 sq ft. The building served as the city council’s flagship site, housing over 3,000 staff, before being acquired by Aston University last September.
The new Green Energy Centre will be powered by new-generation sustainable technologies, bringing Aston University’s net-zero emission timeline forward by two years to 2028.
The funding, run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and delivered by Salix, will transform how the campus operates.
Scope 1 and 2 emissions will be reduced by more than 90% from the 2005/06 baseline as a result of moving away from fossil fuels used in the University’s district heating and electricity network.
The project will include the decommissioning of gas boilers currently used in the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) and the Aston Day Hospital buildings, as well as energy efficiency projects in several other high-traffic buildings across the campus.
The centre will be future-proofed, with a Zero Carbon 10MW capacity Energy Centre (the current demand is 8.2MW), allowing Aston University to grow sustainably.
Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University, said: “The ambitious Aston University 2030 sustainability strategy is being realised by establishing the new Green Energy Centre that will enable the University to reach Net Zero Carbon by 2028, two years ahead of our plan.
“This transformational initiative demonstrates in action a model for how universities can drive environmental innovation while creating spaces where people and ideas flourish. Every breath we take will be cleaner, every space on our campus healthier for the Aston team, students, partners, and community.”
Director of Public Sector Decarbonisation at Salix, Ian Rodger said: “We look forward to working with Aston University and supporting it to deliver its Net Zero carbon emission strategy.
“We have no time to waste when addressing climate change and, at Aston, we can see the vision to create not only a healthier environment in which to work and study but a campus that is well set up for the future.”
